[kronckew]

i remember seeing (and bidding on) them. had some brass inlays if i recall. i did not win them either.

i heard a similar story from an american. the locals didn't take them serious until the command to 'fix bayonets'. he mentioned taking out a large bowie to clean his fingernails always made the locals more cooperative.

..and last century, the sultan of brunei went away on holiday, the local marxists decided it was a good time to be more revolting than usual, so they started their normal method of polite democratic persuasion - rioting, arson, murder, looting, rape, etc.

the sultan called his guard, two helicopters of gurkhas arrived, a few hours later. revolution over. the gurkhas had lined up if front of the rioters, drew their khukuris, and most of the commies suddenly decided they were really loyal subjects of his majesty the sultan and had other appointments to attend. those few remaining hard core soon got the point tho - or maybe the edge.

there was, of course, more to it than that, and a bit more combat in other places, but it was all over in short order.


...and the bean counters say that edged weapons have no place in modern combat. they, of course, have never been somewhere you needed one.